Space To Breathe
by starksassemblyrequired
Summary: With everyone moved in to Stark Tower and everything returning to normal for the Avengers, what happens when, bit by bit, the man of Iron begins to break down? With a new assistant who is more than she seems, can she help put Tony back together? Can she bring him the peace he needs or will she be the one thing that breaks him down completely? Tony/OC, takes place post film.
1. Prologue: No Way to Reach Me

**Author's Note and Disclaimer: **

**They aren't mine! I'm only borrowing them so my imaginary friend can get a sexy boyfriend and I can live vicariously through her…technically I'm playing God…*insert evil laugh here***

**Please R&R. Show some love. Help me improve. BE CONSTRUCTIVE, NOT DESTRUCTIVE. Thanks ;)**

**Warning: Cursing, violence, sexual situations, alcohol content, and just plain sexiness. Not for the faint of heart, people prone to nerdgasms should beware. It has light angst, but mostly it's a romantic dramedy **

**This is a songfic…expect a soundtrack.**

**Enjoy! **

**Starksassemblyrequired**

**Prologue Song: Vienna by The Frey**

_Prologue:_

_There goes the downpour…there goes my fair thee well…_

Tony started awake, shaking, sweating, fearing that the nightmare was real. Again. He felt the crushing blackness of space around him, heard the cold hollow silence that was all around him as he let the lack of oxygen rush over him. It was like drowning. Drowning and falling all at once. He didn't even know what had woken him from his nightmare tonight, but whatever it was, he was thankful for.

_There's really no way to reach me…there's really no way to reach me…_

"Jarvis." Tony rasped, his voice hoarse. He needed something. He didn't know what, but he knew he couldn't sleep couldn't go back to the dark again.

"Yes, sir?" The AI spoke, the tone cultured, a comfort to him.

"Time, please." He hoped the hour was at least decent enough for him to wander around his own damn home without questioning stares from his roommates. Since the Avengers moved into the tower, he felt an odd sense of companionship, but an underlying tone of annoyance. He couldn't even walk around naked anymore.

"The time is 7:23am, sir." Jarvis, ever the butler, chimed. "Captain Rogers and Dr. Banner are already awake and conversing in the kitchen."

"Thanks, Jarvis." Tony sighed, noticing the slight tremor in his hands as he rubbed his face. Standing, he sighed once more before leaving his bedroom and heading for the kitchen.

The scent of bacon and coffee wafted through the apartment. Tony heard Steve laugh at something Bruce had said and shook his head. He and the Captain had begun a strange and sometimes tense friendship, but as time went on they became more comfortable with one another, the Captain loosening up a bit, not being so uptight, and Tony being more respectful of the Captain's breaking points.

"Morning, Stark." Steve said, his tone still tinged with laughter. "How'd you sleep?"

Tony grunted, heading for the coffee.

"You okay?" Bruce's brow furrowed slightly, concern in his brown eyes. The doctor had noticed a change in his friend in the four months since the invasion, and defeat, of the Chitauri. At first he had assumed it was the breakup between Tony and Pepper affecting his friend, but after watching the way the now ex-lovers interacted, he determined that was not the case.

_There's so many words that we can't say…spoken along long distance melodies…_

"Fine." Tony poured a cup of the steaming brew and took a sip. The tension seemed to leave him for a moment as he savored the flavor of hazelnut coffee. "Just didn't get to sleep until late."

"Working on another suit upgrade?" Steve asked, curiosity in his tone. Tony couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. His friend had become obsessed with learning about the world of modern technology. Often he sat with Tony in his shop as he built and upgraded his techno palace, uttering two words more than any. "What's that?"

Tony nodded. "Yeah. The Mach VII is a work in progress." The inventor inhaled deeply and rubbed his face once again.

"Jarvis." Tony called.

"Yes, sir?" Steve still wasn't used to the AI, but had stopped jumping at the sound of the computerized butler's voice.

"Call Harper. Get her down here. I want to start working early today." Tony looked down at his watch as he made the command.

"Sir, I do not believe Miss Moore will be very happy at being woken up at this hour." Jarvis' voice held a note of warning.

"Yeah, Tony." Bruce looked nervous. "Remember what happened last time you woke her up like that?"

Steve frowned and shook his head. "She wasn't very happy."

Both men looked at one another and shivered slightly. The unease was evident in them both.

"Who wasn't very happy?" Clint's bare feet padded into the kitchen, grabbing his own cup of coffee. "Nat?"

"Harper." Steve, Bruce and Tony all answered at once and Clint took on a pale pallor.

"You want to wake her up, don't you?" He glared at Tony. "You want to unleash that kind of hell on us? What's wrong with you man?!"

"I want to get started early, that's all." Tony argued, his voice raising. "Jarvis, make the call."

"Jarvis, stop!" The three men chimed, their voices stern.

"Jarvis.." Tony was cut off by a sharp slap to the back of his head. He winced and turned, seeing that now, Natasha and Thor had joined their little group, although Thor looked to be still half asleep.

"You leave that girl alone." Natasha commanded. "She works hard for us, Stark. She's not only an assistant, but a nanny, a maid and a teacher to the blunder twins over there." Her head jerked toward the two blonds in the group, both drinking their coffee and stopping with identical expressions of confusion on their faces before letting out a self-righteous chorus of "Hey!"

"Fine." Tony conceded, his facial expression that of a petulant child who never got its way. "I'll give her until 8:15. Then I'm calling." He put his cup in the sink and walked off to his office, tightness in his chest with every step he took.

_So this is your Maverick…This is Vienna_

**Have I peeked your interest? Read and Respond, please. I'd like to know what some of your predictions are, What your input is, and what you want to see happen.**


	2. Chapter 1: You Are a Rock

**Disclaimer: They aren't mine…I'm only borrowing them…except Harper. She's mine. **

**Please R&R. Show some love. Help me improve. BE CONSTRUCTIVE, NOT DESTRUCTIVE. Thanks ;)**

**Author's Note: For the sake of this story and my peace of mind, Coulson is still alive. I make mention of him and I didn't want anyone to stop me with a "HEY, NO!" moment. Besides…we all love Coulson.**

**Enjoy!**

**Starksassemblyrequired**

**Song for Ch. 1: Green Eyes by Cold Play**

**Chapter 1: You Are a Rock**

_Honey, you are the rock upon which I stand_

True to his word, Tony waited until 8:15 before finally having Jarvis patch through the phone call to Harper. The speakers in his lab blared out the ring back tone she had set specifically for him. He couldn't help but smile as the familiar strains of Black Sabbath's Iron Man played to him. The manner in which she answer the phone only made his smile widen.

"Ello?" The young woman's voice was groggy, thick with sleep.

"Harpsichord! Wake up, you perfect assistant, you." Tony made his tone overly chipper just to annoy her. He could see it in his head, her little button nose scrunched as she screwed her brilliant jade green eyes closed. Her indeterminately long, honey blond hair would be up, as it always was, as she sat up, annoyance making its way onto her features.

"Stark…"Harper growled, the sleep still thick in her voice. He was holding back laughter, unsure as to whether or not Harper was pissed about the nickname or the hour at which she was awoken.

"Yes, green eyes? " His voice was not sickeningly innocent.

"What the fuck, Tony?!" She sounded more awake now, her voice clearer. "It's 8:15!"

"Actually, now, it's 8:17." Tony was having too much fun. He felt better, fully recovered from the dreams he had had that night. "Now, get your ass in the shower, get dressed and get up here."

"You know, Tony, I moved in to Stark Tower so I could get an extra hour of sleep in the morning instead of waiting in traffic for an hour to get here. I'm three floors down. I can be there in five minutes. My hours are from 10am to 7pm. It's 8:20 now and I could be sleeping. What do you want?" Harper sounded calm and level headed, but he knew she was clenching her fists. She had been his assistant for three months and he had learned to read her well.

He had a hard time at first agreeing to having her as his assistant. Pepper insisted on it. She even pulled the "CEO card" on him. Tony had laid eyes on her and immediately felt like she was going to be hard on him. She looked so smart he had sworn he felt his brain flex, and while she was smart, she wasn't "Tony" smart. She watched too much Nat Geo Wild and read too many non fiction novels, but there were things about her that he began to appreciate.

She was patient with him, more so than Pepper ever had been, and she didn't treat Steve and Thor like they were morons or meatheads just because they were technologically impaired. Harper had gifted Bruce with a very calming oolong tea with lemon essence package, she had taught Clint how to perfect his cross stitch and she had even gotten Natasha to laugh. She didn't curse around Steve, she watched Super Nanny with Coulson and taught Thor how to make Nachos.

Pepper had insisted on having Harper as his assistant, not because of what she did professionally, but for how good a friend she knew Harper would be to everyone. And now, at 8:21 am, Tony Stark truly appreciated his meddling ex girlfriend/ boss/ ex assistant because without Pepper, Harper wouldn't be so crucial.

"I need you here. I had another one of those nights and I want to forget." Tony's voice was serious, but soft, not stern like it usually was when he got serious. From the sound of the shuffling on the other side of the phone, Harper was getting out of bed and getting undressed.

"I'll be there in five." The water turned on. "And you had better tell Steve to save me some coffee."

"Done." The call was disconnected and Tony smiled and then proceeded to shout out at the top of his lungs. "CAPSICLE! SAVE THE HARPIE SOME JAVA!"

Harper was showered, dried off and dressed in less than four minutes. Her hair was still soaking wet and in a sternly braided bun at the top of her head. She had her palm pilot in one hand, her shoes in the other, her glasses slipped onto the bridge of her nose and the handle of her briefcase in her mouth. She put her watch on in the elevator, smoothed down her skirt and slipped on her shoes in a matter of seconds. With four seconds to spare, Harper's very punctual, if not slightly frazzled, self, came through the elevator doors to the top suite of Stark Tower and was greeted with a fresh cup of coffee, with cream and three sugars.

"Steve, never let it be said that you aren't a saint, sweetheart." Harper still had to stand on her tippy toes to reach Steve's cheek, even in her high heels. She laid a kiss to hiss stubble free skin and walked in to the kitchen. "Good morning, team."

"Good morning, Harper." Bruce and Natasha said quietly, albeit distractedly as they both did the crossword in their respective papers. Clint was too busy mending his quiver to do anything but nod and grunt, and Steve just smiled.

"LADY HARPER OF MOORE! Good morrow," Thor boomed, his voice loud and cheerful. "I trust your night was spent resting well and not spent…"he thought a moment before continuing," counting the fluffy farm animals you midgardians seem fond of envisioning. I often envision them escaping their confines to be eaten by what I can only assume will be wolves."

Harper blinked at Thor for a moment before laughing lightly to herself. "Thank you, Thor. I slept well and no sheep were counted."

"Ah. I am pleased with this." Thor nodded and opened the refrigerator. "I find that I hunger for more midgardian food. Perhaps I shall make nachos?" Thor announced, his face lighting up and the thought of doing something helpful.

"Ah…nachos are more of a lunch thing, buddy." Bruce said smiling as well. "It's too early for nachos."

"I can make you some eggs." Steve offered the god, kindly.

"I wish to have something large. Have we any boar?" Thor asked, his hand on his stomach.

"No…no boar…" Harper shook her head and chuckled as Thor and Steve argued food.

"I'm going to the lab." As Harper was walking away, Natasha and Clint shared a look, which then drew Bruce's attention, and soon drew Thor's and finally Steve's. Steve sighed and looked down.

"Think she can help?" Clint asked, his expression open, yet guarded.

"Maybe." Steve shrugged. "If anyone can, I'll bet it's her." They knew something was wrong with Tony. They just needed help to figure it out.

"What makes you say that?" Bruce sounded curious, his face open.

"Because it's her job." Natalie stated, her eyes still on the crossword puzzle.

**REMEMBER TO R&R, Team! **


	3. Chapter 2: Occupy Your Mind

**Disclaimer: They aren't mine…I'm only borrowing them…except Harper. She's mine. **

**Please R&R. Show some love. Help me improve. BE CONSTRUCTIVE, NOT DESTRUCTIVE. Thanks ;)**

**Author's Note: I am really happy with how smoothly this is going and because of all the favorites, I've decided to post two chapters today. I'm touched that you all like my story. It's a little slow right now, but I promise it will get more fast paced.  
**

**Thank Yous: Soooo many feels! Thank yous go out to new followers : Lati08, Beshineshi, katie93319, and Shedaisies. Thanks so much for wanting to read my story folks.  
**

**Enjoy!**

**Starksassemblyrequired**

**Song for Ch. 2: Heart's A Mess by Gotye**

Chapter 2: Occupy Your Mind

Harper walked down the long hallway toward the lab she knew to be at the end. She was smart enough to put her files away in her briefcase before heading down toward the lab. So, with her coffee in one hand, her briefcase tucked under her arm and her palm pilot in the other hand, Harper punched in the security code to the lab.

"Good morning, Miss Moore." Jarvis greeted, a certain warmth in the AI's tone.

"Good morning, Jarvis. Is he busy?" She heard something that may have been welding, but she wasn't sure.

"Yes, Miss Moore. He is making restorations to one of his suits." Jarvis provided the information freely, his tone somewhat exasperated.

Harper followed the sound of welding until she reached the sight of a slightly sweaty Tony. She stood back, unnoticed, her eyes tracing the lines of his back, the dips of his shoulders and the sweat staining his wife beater. She smiled slightly to herself, her eyes trained on his every move.

_Pick apart the pieces of your heart, and let me peer inside_

Harper had taken this job with the hopes of doing something better for herself. For almost three years she worked as a paralegal for a small firm run by morons. She wasn't happy and when she got that magical phone call from her old friend from high school, Pepper, she was only too eager to take the job. Granted she didn't know she was essentially taking a babysitting position for a spoiled brat, but it was well worth it.

She had come to like Tony. He was a good guy, even if he was a bit selfish, but on occasion he showed a caring side to his roommates at the Tower and to herself as well. He was definitely not her type, and after being witness to a lot of the stunts he pulled recently, she didn't think he ever could be. But that had changed.

Two months in to working for the team, Harper had begun to realize just how attracted she was to the inventor. It had started as her noticing small things, the fleck of gold in one of his eyes, the small almost invisible scar on his left temple. Soon, she started getting goosebumps when their arms brushed one another, or her stomach would flutter whenever he smiled her way.

_Let me in, where only your thoughts have been_

She maintained a professional outlook on their relationship, even though all she wanted to do at times was kiss him stupid. She knew she wasn't his type. He liked leggy, slender red heads, not short, slightly chubby blonds with thick glasses, high expectations and even higher IQ's. Harper wasn't unattractive in any means, but she wasn't the type Tony went for and she had accepted that. She may not be able to show her attraction for him, but she could certainly look out for his best interests, especially since most of the time he was too side tracked by a pretty face, a pretty piece of technology or a pretty bottle to look after himself.

Tony finally turned off his torch and lifted his face gear, turning to smirk at her.

"Watching me?" Tony said, sitting up straight on his rolling stool and wiping his hands on a rag beside him. "That's not creepy at all, you know."

"Well, I didn't want to just walk up behind you and startle you. I don't feel like going up in flames, Tony. That doesn't sound like a good time." Harper raised a perfectly styled eyebrow and gave Tony a look.

He chuckled lightly and made a face at her, one that clearly said "hardy har har." He rolled towards her, scooting slowly closer, his eyes fixed on hers. "I can think of something that sounds like a good time, Harpsichord." Harper stood frozen to the spot, her mind racing, visions of kissing him running through her thoughts as he came ever so nearer... until he called her that name.

"Goddamn it, Tony, what have I told you about calling me that!" Annoyance flooded her expression as she put her palm pilot in the pocket of her briefcase and her briefcase on the floor. She put her coffee on a clean table and shook her head. "You know it pisses me off."

"Why do you think I keep doing it?" Tony snarked. "You know I can't help but get a rise out of you. It makes my day so much better."

_Let me occupy your mind, as you do mine._

After a moment, Harper's expression changed. " You said you'd had another nightmare last night."

He sobered immediately, his expression somber and haunted. Instead of replying verbally, he nodded.

"How bad was this one compared to the others?" Harper leaned back against the table her coffee was on, her eyes intent on him.

For a moment, Tony didn't answer but she saw the strain it had put on him to remember the nightmares. His eyes had become somewhat shadowed over, his face slowly paling.

"I could feel it." Tony started, his voice quiet. "The weight on my chest, the lack of air in my lungs. I could feel it all over again and I was terrified. I woke up in the dark. I woke up alone and in the dark and I was terrified." He shuddered, his eyes on the ground in front of him. "I keep thinking 'What if this is the dream and I won't wake up next time. What if next time I don't hear the roar of the Other Guy and open my eyes?'"

Harper walked to Tony and knelt in front of him, not at all worried about getting her skirt dirty. She placed both of her hands on his face, cupping his cheeks, bringing his face up so his eyes would meet hers. "None of that is going to happen. You are alive and you're awake. This isn't a dream. This is reality, Tony and in this reality, you're okay." When he nodded, she smiled reassuringly.

"Thanks, Harper." Tony muttered, one of his hands coming up to rest on one of hers on his face. "This is why we keep you."

"We need to get you a nightlight." She joked, standing and pulling away. She wasn't as comfortable with the contact as she seemed, and for now she had reached a limit. She didn't want to risk a miscommunication between herself and Tony.

"What am I? Six?" Tony scoffed, before rolling back to his station and picking up his welding torch once more.

"Have fun!" Harper laughed as she picked up her briefcase and coffee cup, making her way back out of the lab.

"Hey!" She stopped and turned around, looking at Tony with a smirk.

"What?"

"Can you bring me a sandwich?" He gave her his best impersonation of a puppy as she rolled her eyes and walked away. "Please?!"

The closing of the lab door was his answer.


End file.
